BRB w/ Nathan P - Rotational Grazing, Homemade Chicken Stock & Kitchen Confidential
A biomimetic future for farming, a staple you'll never need to buy again, and a revered chef's honest take on the culinary world (#5).
Hi all,
Welcome back to BRB w/ Nathan P - a weekly newsletter featuring 1 Breakthrough, 1 Recipe, and 1 Book revolving around food & climate.
Before we get started, here are some highlights of food & climate in the news this week:
CEFC increases investment in Loam Bio through A$105 million Series B round (CEFC). Loam Bio is an Australian biotech company increasing agricultural productivity by healing soil microbiomes.
The ‘master plan’ to double legume consumption in the Netherlands by 2030 (Food Navigator)
Bird Flu Outbreak is a Wake-Up Call for Agriculture (Bloomberg)
Westerners support 100% clean energy, less oil drilling — even in red states (LA Times)
💥 Breakthrough: Rotational Grazing
While many alternative proteins and meat analogues are coming to market, many consumers are not willing to compromise on the flavor, texture, and nutrition of meat. The livestock industry is still growing despite environmental, cruelty, and health concerns. So what could better models of ranching look like?
One promising practice is called rotational grazing, where cows and chickens rotate through patches of grassland. The cows munch on the grass; the chickens feed on insects and worms and produce fertilizing manure; the patch is then left to regenerate until the cattle return.
Rotational grazing is an example of biomimicry: design inspired by nature. In wild savannas and pastures, wildebeest and bison are often observed with flocks of birds feeding on the insects they attract. The grass is then left to regenerate as these herbivores move towards lusher plots.
Rotational grazing is a much more sustainable way of raising livestock. In the US, nearly 90% of corn produced is fed to animals - with a large environmental impact when considering fertilizers, pesticides, processing, and transportation. Rotational grazing largely reduces the need for external feedstocks, and reduces water consumption, too. Only 3-4% of the water needed to produce a kg of beef in this model is non-local (called ‘blue water’). The rest is ‘green water’ from rainfall and local sources.
Rotational grazing can include a variety of animals, also including pigs, turkeys, and rabbits. Such is the case of Polyface Farms in Virginia - an unconventional farm promoting transparency, local consumption, and a ‘Beyond Organic’ approach to ranching. Founder Joel Salatin is not simply in the business of raising livestock - he calls himself a “grass farmer.”
Meat produced this way is also much healthier. As Michael Pollan explains in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, meats contain two main classes of beneficial fatty acids: omega-3 and omega-6. It turns out their ratio matters more than their quantity. While conventional beef has a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 of 20 to 1, grass-fed beef has a more beneficial ratio of 3 to 1. Nutritionally speaking, this also makes grass-fed beef more interesting than farm-raised salmon.
Fun fact: the enzymes in cows’ saliva actually makes grass grow faster. Having animals on the land is beneficial, and done right, it produces more nutritious foods and healthier ecosystems. Of the 4 billion acres of pasture on earth, only around 1.5 billion are suitable to grow crops for humans. Placing animals like goats, cows, or sheep actually regenerates the land and sequesters carbon.
Our industrial model of producing meat should be criticized. Yet more sustainable, humane, and healthier products exist - and it is worth supporting them with your wallet in the supermarket.
🥘 Recipe: Homemade Chicken Stock
Chicken stock is a kitchen staple. It is delicious, economical, and rich in nutrients - and also most respectful of the animal. My hope is that after making the recipe below, you will never buy it at the grocery store again.
While it can be enjoyed on its own, chicken stock elevates a wide range of dishes. Want to make tastier white rice? Replace some water for chicken stock. A soup to soothe a cold? Chicken stock. A delightful risotto? Chick. En. Stock.
You can make it with a regular mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery) or a white mirepoix (onion, fennel, celery). I make the regular one below.
Here’s how I make my own below. It keeps in the fridge for 2-3 months.
Ingredients (makes 1-1.5L of stock)
1 onion, diced
6-8 carrots, sliced and quartered
1 bunch of celery, sliced
1-2 carcasses of chicken bones
3 bay leaves
Half a head of garlic, chopped in half
A small bunch of thyme, pepper, and rosemary, bunched in a sachet (optional)
Instructions (active time 15 mins, total 4h)
Pre-heat the oven to 400F and bake the chicken carcass coated with a bit of vegetable oil for 30-45 minutes, until darkened and burnt spots form.
Sauce the diced onion, celery, and carrots in a bit of vegetable oil in a large pot (1 gallon) until fragrant and the onions are translucent.
Add in the chicken bones, then the bay leaves, garlic, and optional herbs. Fill with water until the bones are just covered.
Heat on high until boiling. Bring the pot a little un-centered from the stove so that the impurities accumulate on one side. Scoop any foamy impurities with a large spoon and discard.
Simmer on low heat with the lid for 2.5-3h.
Strain with a fine-mesh sieve into a large enough bowl to catch the liquids. Press the vegetables and bones into the sieve to capture the juices.
Store in a large mason jar, and for long-term convenient use, freeze in an ice-cube tray and use as desired. Take a sip of nostalgic tastiness.
📚 Book: Kitchen Confidential
I highly recommend Kitchen Confidential - a raw, honest, and sultry read on the behind-the-scenes of the culinary world by Anthony Bourdain. This hilarious and introspective memoir will change your perspective on this chef’s career and your next restaurant outing.
Anthony Bourdain is a natural storyteller and this book is hard to put down. His passion for food certainly attests the deeply emotional and sensory attachment to animal products described above. He urges us to be adventurous with food and courteous to food service folks. So keep traveling, tipping, and exploring.
My favorite quotes to reflect on:
Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.
Do we really want to travel in hermetically sealed popemobiles through the rural provinces of France, Mexico and the Far East, eating only in Hard Rock Cafes and McDonalds? Or do we want to eat without fear, tearing into the local stew, the humble taqueria's mystery meat, the sincerely offered gift of a lightly grilled fish head? I know what I want. I want it all. I want to try everything once.
If you're twenty-two, physically fit, hungry to learn and be better, I urge you to travel – as far and as widely as possible. Sleep on floors if you have to. Find out how other people live and eat and cook. Learn from them — wherever you go.
That is all for today - BRB next week ✌️
About Me
Hi there! My name is Nathan Paumier - I’m an avid reader, food enthusiast, and climate optimist. I started this newsletter after frequent questions on food tech, reading recommendations, and my secret recipes.
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